ATI RN
Pharmacology Practice Exam A ATI Questions
Question 1 of 9
Which solution should the nurse administer with packed red blood cells?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When administering packed red blood cells, it is important to use a compatible solution. The preferred solution to administer with packed red blood cells is 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) because it is isotonic and compatible with red blood cells. Using an isotonic solution like 0.9% sodium chloride helps to prevent hemolysis of the red blood cells and maintains their integrity during administration. Lactated Ringer's solution, D5W, and 0.45% sodium chloride are not recommended for administering packed red blood cells because they can cause hemolysis due to their hypotonic or hypertonic nature.
Question 2 of 9
A nurse is caring for a client with a history of overdosage of aspirin. The nurse suspects which of the following can be an early sign of aspirin toxicity?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can be an early sign of aspirin toxicity. Aspirin poisoning can lead to salicylate toxicity, which can manifest with various symptoms including tinnitus, along with hyperventilation, nausea, vomiting, and metabolic acidosis. Monitoring for tinnitus is crucial as an early indicator of potential aspirin overdose in clients. Unsteady gait, drowsiness, and confusion are also symptoms of aspirin toxicity but typically develop after tinnitus in the progression of toxicity.
Question 3 of 9
Dobutamine:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Dobutamine, a β1-selective agonist, can cause arrhythmias, so no arrhythmogenic effect is false. It increases myocardial oxygen consumption by enhancing contractility, not decreases it. It's selective, not non-selective, targeting cardiac β1 receptors. It doesn't act on CNS D2 dopamine receptors but on peripheral β1. It's used in heart failure to boost cardiac output, a true statement, making it valuable in acute settings. This inotropic effect distinguishes it from non-selective agents, critical for managing cardiogenic shock.
Question 4 of 9
Which sign is common with hypocalcemia?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypocalcemia causes muscle spasms (tetany)-nerve hyperexcitability, per classic signs-unlike bruising (coagulation), hypertension (not direct), or wasting (chronic). Spasms dominate, per assessment.
Question 5 of 9
The nurse is caring for a client receiving IV heparin. Which finding requires immediate action?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Heparin anticoagulates, monitored by aPTT (therapeutic: 60-80 seconds). An aPTT of 90 seconds indicates over-anticoagulation, risking bleeding, needing immediate action (e.g., stop infusion). Bruising and redness are minor. Platelets of 150,000 are normal. Prolonged aPTT aligns with heparin's effect, critical in therapy where bleeding is a threat, making B the finding requiring swift response.
Question 6 of 9
The following is suitable for treatment of acute dystonia as a result of metoclopramide treatment:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Metoclopramide, a D2 antagonist, causes acute dystonia (e.g., oculogyric crisis). Procyclidine, an anticholinergic, rapidly reverses this IV, relaxing muscles, a suitable treatment. Benzhexol (trihexyphenidyl) works orally but is slower. Levodopa and bromocriptine, dopamine agonists, treat Parkinson's, not dystonia from dopamine blockade. Risperidone worsens it. IV procyclidine's speed is critical in acute settings, restoring normal movement effectively.
Question 7 of 9
Before administering Digoxin, the nurse should complete which task?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Before administering Digoxin, it is crucial for the nurse to count the patient's apical pulse for 1 minute. Digoxin is a medication commonly prescribed to manage heart conditions such as heart failure and certain irregular heartbeats. Since Digoxin works by helping the heart beat stronger and at a more normal rhythm, it is essential to monitor the patient's heart rate before administering the medication. Counting the apical pulse for 1 minute allows for an accurate assessment of the patient's baseline heart rate, which is crucial in determining whether it is safe to administer Digoxin. If the heart rate is too low (bradycardia), administering Digoxin could potentially cause further complications. Therefore, assessing the apical pulse beforehand is a critical step in ensuring the safe administration of Digoxin.
Question 8 of 9
The nurse has completed medication education for the anxious patient who is receiving buspirone (BuSpar). The nurse determines that the patient needs additional instruction when the patient makes which statement?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Buspirone requires regular dosing-weeks-to reduce anxiety via serotonin modulation, not PRN like benzos, per pharmacology. Dizziness, headache, drowsiness are true side effects. Regular use is needed for effect. It's non-addictive, unlike benzos. PRN use misstates its action, needing correction.
Question 9 of 9
Which of the following procedures does NOT result in local analgesia:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Increasing the temperature does not result in local analgesia. In fact, higher temperatures can often lead to increased pain sensitivity. Local analgesia is achieved through methods such as chemically or physically damaging nerve trunks, stimulating large fiber nerve activity, or rendering tissue anemic. These procedures work by interrupting the transmission of pain signals to the brain or by reducing the sensitivity of local nerve endings to pain stimuli.